Visa

The returned visa and a note

Sent: 15th June
Returned: 17th June
Resent: 1st July
Returned: before 11th July

Visa information and the visa form itself can be found on the Embassy of the Republic of Korea website. If you are applying for a year long study abroad you are required to have a D-2 Study Visa (found on the 3rd page). I have read online that visitors do not require a visa if they are only staying in Korea for less than 90 days.

What you need to send for D-2 Visa:

1. Visa application form
2. Passport photo
3. Passport (original, not a copy)
4. Certificate of admission (copy)
5. Certificate of admission at current school (seek university's student services)
6. The exchange agreement between the two universities (I asked the SAO for a copy)
7. Finance documents proving that you have $10,000 in your bank (6 months worth of bank statements - if printed out it must be stamped by the bank, and a copy of Student Finance England letter for the year abroad)
8. Visa fee: £100 cash
9. A stamped envelope with your address on it so that they can return your passport in it.

The boxes on the form are tiny, so please make sure to take care when filling it out. Don't forget to double check the entire form before sending it out! I made the mistake of not double checking at the Post Office, I forgot to sign and date the form, meaning that everything was sent back to me on 17th June.

The visa application was sent by special delivery at the counter, and I paid for a special delivery stamp as well for the return envelope. Each stamp cost me £6.95.

I resent the visa application on 1st July and when I came back from my mini Summer vacation on the 11th my passport came back with the visa sticker.

On 16th July the SAO sent me an email containing a "Business Registration Certificate", which Korea University suggested that I needed for my visa application. However, by the time I already had successfully received my visa with no problems, meaning that this wasn't mandatory - however it may apply for future applicants.